| Brachytherapy is a form of radiotherapy and is an | | | | radioactive seeds (radiation) inside the body and then |
| advanced form of treatment for mesothelioma. It | | | | taking them out after a certain amount of time. |
| has been used for over a century for the treatment | | | | Permanent brachytherapy consists of placing the |
| of mesothelioma. | | | | radioactive seeds inside the body and leaving them. |
| Radiotherapy is used to treat mesothelioma by | | | | The radioactive seeds actually stop emitting radiation |
| ionizing radiation, thus killing cancer cells. Radiotherapy | | | | after a certain amount of time but lay in the body |
| can be performed internally or externally. When | | | | causing no problems. |
| radiotherapy is performed externally the radiation is | | | | There are actually teams of people who administer |
| put into the body from an object outside the body, | | | | the brachytherapy. Among this team are a radiation |
| which is usually called a linear accelerator. | | | | oncologist, a radiation physicist, a radiation therapist, |
| When radiotherapy is performed internally radiation is | | | | and the person who manually does the procedure. |
| put inside the body. Internal radiotherapy can also be | | | | The radiation oncologist decides the area to be |
| called brachytherapy. "Brachy" comes from the Greek | | | | treated and the overall treatment plan, the radiation |
| word for "short range." The radiation is put into the | | | | physicist decides the best equipment to be used to |
| body at short range, thus, brachytherapy. Some | | | | infuse the radiation, the dosimetrist decides the |
| other names for internal radiotherapy are sealed | | | | dosage to be given and helps in distributing the dose |
| source radiotherapy, seed implantation radiotherapy | | | | and the radiation therapist operates the equipment |
| or endocurietherapy. | | | | that administers the radiation. |
| The radiation is placed either inside the cancer source | | | | Brachytherapy is considered to be a safer method of |
| or very close to it. The radiation that is placed inside | | | | treatment for mesothelioma than other treatments |
| emits radiation killing the cancerous cells but can only | | | | for the cancer, but there are side effects of this |
| kill up to a one inch diameter, so the radiation must | | | | procedure. Right after the procedure there is |
| be placed close to the cancerous site. | | | | soreness at the site of the radiation there may also |
| There are two different types of brachytherapy: | | | | be swelling in the same area. Short-term side effects |
| - temporary brachytherapy | | | | are soreness and bleeding at the site but generally |
| - permanent brachytherapy | | | | only last a few days. |
| Temporary brachytherapy consists of placing the | | | | |